Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished ManuscriptReview Method: Peer ReviewedAbstract: The concept of "development journalism" was introduced in the late 1960s and proposed as a new press theory more amenable to developing nations. The concept has been criticized as conceptually vague and professionally problematic due to a lack of independence vis a vis the state. Despite this criticism, the concept has continued to draw adherents and advocates who claim that this practice continues to hold promise as an alternative to other models of journalism.

This paper reports on a development journalism project conducted in Africa among young women in terms of its potential contributions to development journalism. The journalism camp for girls was designed out of a framework drawn from the scholarship of development journalism and participatory development communication.

The findings indicate that projects such as the journalism camp for girls addresses many of the criticism leveled against development journalism, while suggesting a sustainable, viable, and compatible model of development journalism in the developing world.